1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a program and a method for managing device drivers of an information processing apparatus connected to a network, for example, an information processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
As networks such as the Internet or a home network expand, an interactive device such as a PDA or a cellular phone, an image processing apparatus such as a scanner, a printer, a copying machine, a digital camera or the like, for example, are network compatible. Various devices such as home electronic appliances such as a television, an air conditioner, a refrigerator and the like have also become network compatible. Accordingly, various protocols or architectures for providing functions of managing a network device to improve convenience in using a network compatible device and improve simplicity of management have been proposed (see Patent Documents 1, 2). The provided functions include an automatic setup of application software, utility software, an operating system and the like for searching a network device for providing a service or controlling a network device, for example.
Automating management of a network device has also been tried. For example, Microsoft Corporation has been promoting development of the UPnP (Registered trademark), and the WSD: Web Services for Devices (WS-Discovery/WS-MetadataExchange). That is for realizing so-called plug-and-play to make a device available just by connecting the device to a network. BMLinks (registered trademark) promoted by Japan Business Machine and the Information System Industries Association (JBMIA), Rendezvous supported by OS X developed by Apple Computer Inc. are also known.
A technique for presenting to a user the presence of right to use, recommendation or the like which is a criterion for selecting a printer by listing the searched printers when many printers are searched at searching of a network compatible printer has also been proposed (Patent Document 3).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2004-038956.
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-362594.
[Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-149362.
As plug and play has begun to prevail in network devices, however, the convenience is improved but harmful effects also occur. One of the harmful effects is that a driver or an application program of a network device is installed without regard for user's needs.
Particularly, it is assumed that a handheld computer or the like is connected to an environment where a great number of printers are connected on a network such as in a large office or the like. In such a case, each time a plug and play function works and a network device running on the network is found, a driver or an application program of the network device are installed. That impractically wastes computer hardware resources of, and memory resources in particular. In addition, when “print” is selected from the application program, a great number of printers are enumerated as available devices, undermining convenience of a user.
Limiting devices to be enumerated by using the technique described in Patent Document 3 also causes problems. For example, it is assumed that a handheld computer or the like is connected to an environment where a great number of printers are connected on a network in a large office or the like and a driver corresponding to three devices are installed as mentioned above. In such a case, user restriction information on the necessary three devices must be set as “available” and user restriction information on each of the remaining devices needs be set as “unavailable”. That may lower the working efficiency.